Almanac

Ask Bucky

Do you have questions? Ask Bucky has answers! Ask Bucky is a service provided by the Campus Information and Visitor Center — your one-stop shop for information about the UW–Madison campus and surrounding community, and your centralized source for off-campus housing listings. E-mail Bucky at askbucky@redgym.wisc.edu. Below are two questions Ask Bucky recently answered.

Q: I heard that the song “On Wisconsin” was originally written for Minnesota! Can this be true? What exactly is the history behind our beloved school song?
A: “On Wisconsin,” which famed band man John Philip Sousa called “the best college melody I have ever heard,” has a long and colorful history. According to a 1973 article produced by the Wisconsin Historical Society, William Purdy of Chicago wrote a football song intended for the University of Minnesota, but his roommate Carl Beck wrote some new words for the tune and persuaded Purdy to submit it to the University of Wisconsin. On Nov. 11, 1909, Purdy played the song, titled “On Wisconsin,” at a pep rally in Madison’s Armory and Gymnasium, where it was an immediate hit. There are rumors of Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson owning rights to the song, although it is actually part of the public domain. In any case, “On Wisconsin” has become the single most-used melody for high school and college football songs throughout the country, and a great favorite of Badger fans everywhere.

Q: I keep hearing about The Madhatters and Tangled Up in Blue, and I’d love to go to a concert to see one or both. Can you help me locate a schedule of events?
A: Madhatters is a male a cappella group, and Tangled Up in Blue is a female a cappella group. Both groups are made up of talented UW–Madison students, and their concerts are wildly popular on campus. You can find concert dates and information at their respective Web sites, which are http://www.uwmadhatters.com/ and http://www.uwtuib.com/.

Jazz singer Reeves to perform at Union Theater

Three-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves, one of jazz’s pre-eminent vocalists, will close the Wisconsin Union Theater season at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 16.

Reeves is the only recording artist in any singing category to have won the Grammy for three albums in a row.

Her singing draws upon a world of influences, and, as with Carmen McRae and Billie Holiday, she is tied to a powerful storytelling instinct. Reeves was featured with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra for several Duke Ellington projects, including a recording with Daniel Barenboim and the Chicago Symphony, and a concert appearance at Carnegie Hall with Sir Simon Rattle and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s.

In 2002, Reeves performed at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. She presented a program of Gershwin with the Berlin Philharmonic on New Year’s Eve 2003, sang on the season finale of HBO’s “Sex and the City” and was the first internationally renowned jazz artist to perform in Qatar.

The show is sponsored by the Wisconsin Union Directorate Theater Committee with additional support from WORT 89.9 FM. Tickets start at $18; tickets for UW–Madison students are $10. For more information, call the box office at 262-2201.

Backward Glance

From the March 22, 1995, Wisconsin Week: A survey found that more than 800 faculty and staff participated in public service … UW System President Katharine Lyall and Board of Regents President Michael Grebe appeared before the Legislature’s Joint Committee, requesting flexibility from lawmakers as the university attempted to manage budget reductions outlined by Gov. Tommy Thompson.